Cameo Shift

Cameo Shift (CS) occurs when a Therianthrope experiences a shift which feels like an animal that is not a known theriotype.[1] This could be a mental, phantom shift, or dream shift, but other types of cameo shifts are possible as well. Cameo shifting seems to have first appeared in Alt.Horror.Werewolf discussion in the late1990's. [2] This is a common shift experienced by most Therians at some point in their life.

Cameo Shifts and Polytherians

Many Therians who are only just learning about Therianthropy may confuse Cameo Shifts for true theriotypes, resulting in Therians who think they are a five- or six-theriotyped polytherian when they actually may only have one or two true theriotypes.

It is important to consider that a Cameo Shift could be due to either a spirit animal, being Otherhearted, or that it occurred due to a completely human sensation.

"The question is, where did all these polyweres come from? Sure, some can be explained by the need to feel special (see this essay for more on that), but a lot seem to be otherwise rational individuals. And I know a few who are genuine polyweres. But what about the rest?

A little delving shows that a lot of these polyweres have a common thread: They have a shift, either mental/spiritual or a dreamshift, into an animal which is not that which they had previously considered their phenotype. Well, they just shifted into something else, so that must also be a phenotype, right? Yet it only happened that one time.

This is where the concept of the Cameo Shift comes in. It’s basically exactly what it sounds like: a one-time shift into something other than your usual phenotype. The concept existed back in the days of AHWW, but has since fallen into disuse and been forgotten, with the result of the current polywere population boom." - Mokele [3]